State education panel recommends Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech take over Denmark Tech

A South Carolina panel is recommending that a neighboring technical college take over a troubled school in a rural area.

The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reported the governing board of the South Carolina Technical College system has recommended that Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College take over Denmark Technical College.

The board has sent a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster and legislative leaders stating that Denmark Technical College can no longer operate as a state-alone college. Officials primarily blame declining enrollment, which has dropped from about 1,700 students in 2014 to about 525 last year.

The state board took over Denmark Tech under a law McMaster signed last May. That law also required the state board to make a recommendation about the school's future.